New Orleans diners love lagniappe: the generous pour, the complimentary dessert, the chef coming to the table. Such touches help make us feel like regulars – and stoke a passion for restaurant dining that is practically a religion for certain natives.

The COOLinary restaurant promotion works similar magic in August, when the city’s steamy climate damps tourism and appetites.

Launched nine years ago by the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, the program promises discount dining at more than 50 establishments across the city. Not just a scheme to fill empty tables during hurricane season, COOLinary 2013 is the centerpiece of a broad marketing effort designed to keep tourists dreaming of gumbo -- and to keep locals thinking local, said Kelly Schulz of the Visitors Bureau.

“New Orleanians love their city -- and their restaurants, so it’s not hard to convince them to support local businesses at a slow time of year. It’s a matter of pride, for some diners -- and, really, the deals are amazing, ” she said.

To participate in the bureau’s free program, restaurants agree to offer special, two and three-course lunch menus for $20 or less, and three-course dinner menus for $35 or less throughout August.

Executive chef Greg Picolo has observed the benefits of the COOLinary program at two restaurants. For 20 years he helmed a French Quarter landmark -- The Bistro at the Maison de Ville -- and now he runs Redemption in Mid-City.

“In the Quarter I could always feel the summer dip in tourism, but at Redemption things are more steady thanks to local customers and lots of event business. Here I view the COOLinary program as a way to rebrand the restaurant, to encourage diners to check out the booming Mid-City neighborhood, and to show what my kitchen can do with a Creole Revival menu centered on seafood.”

Bruce Murray, a sous chef at Pelican Club, pointed to some side benefits of the COOLinary program for diners.

“Customers tend to focus on the deals, but you don’t just save money when you dine out in August,” Murray said. “It’s a slow time, so restaurant staffs can focus more on individual customers. You won’t be fighting crowds on the street or in the dining room – and you won’t have to park on the other side of the Quarter.”

Do you staycation?

Tell us how you take advantage of the thinner crowds of tourists in August: Do you eat out more often? Do you hit the spots normally crowded with tourists? How do you enjoy the last gasp of summer in the Crescent City?

For foodies, the COOLinary promotion has become an annual, mark-your-calendar bonanza -- and a chance to explore a dining scene that’s far bigger than those in comparably sized cities.

The list of COOLinary restaurants is impressively diverse.

Want to eat at the stately Creole establishments favored by generations of locals? The promotion includes Antoine’s, Arnaud’s, Galatoire’s, and other old-line French Quarter destinations.

Ready to forget the old saw about eating oysters in “r” months? Try the COOLinary offerings at Royal House Oyster Bar, Desire Bistro and other seafood joints.

Curious what Dickie Brennan has done with Tableau, his new restaurant that shares a space with Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre? Book a COOLinary dinner, and ask for a table on the gallery, with its sweeping views of Jackson Square. If you don’t like that view try Muriel’s Jackson Square, which overlooks the city’s heart from a different angle.

There are plenty of other COOLinary restaurants – and only a month to try them. For menus, contact information, and other details, visit Coolinaryneworleans.com